Folding hitching-rack.



No. 727,376. PATENTED MAY- 5, 1903.

C. W. JUSTUS.`

FOLDING HITCHING RACK.

Y APPLICATION FILED DO. 30, 1902. l0 MODEL.

www f' W 7767' -5- /f /77 /2 0 um J UNTTn STATES Patented Mayv 5, 1903.

PATENT OFFICE.

FOLDING HlTCHlNG-RACK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 727,376, dated May 5, 1903. Application filed December 30, 1902. Serial No. 13'7 .v157. (No model To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, CHARLES W. J UsTUs, a citizen of the United States, residing at Lima, in the county of Allen and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Folding Hitchin g-Racks; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention is an improved folding hitching-rack adapted to be folded and. lowered onto the curb, so as to be out of. the Way of pedestrians when not in use; and it consists in the peculiar construction and combination of devices hereinafter fully described and claimed.

The object of my invention is to provide a folding rack especially adapted for use on the streets of cities in which the ordinances prohibit the use of stationary posts or hitchingracks because of their liability to injure or impede pedestrians.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a folding bitching-rack embodying my improvements, showing the same raised and in locked position ready for use for hitching purposes. Fig. 2 is an elevation of the same, showing the rack in its lowered folded position. Fig. 3 is an end elevation of the same. Fig. 4 is a detail view showing the locking-link.

In the embodiment of my invention here shown I provide a pair of base-brackets 1,

which are adapted 4to be placed on the upper side of a curb of usual form at a, and the said base-brackets are provided with depending ianges 2 3, which respectively engage the outer and inner sides of the'curb. The outer iianges 2 of the base-brackets are provided with inwardly-extending studs 4, adapted to be tted in recesses in the outer side of the curb, and the flanges 3 vof the base-brackets are provided with set-screws 5, adapted to engage the inner side of the curb, said setscrews coacting with the said studs to securely and yet detachably fasten the basebrackets'to the curb. Each base-bracket is provided on its upper side with a lug 6 and is provided on its inner side with an inwardly-extending arm 7, having at its inner end an upturned. lug S. Upright standards 9 have theirllower ends pivotally connected to the lugs 6, as by studs 10. The upper ends of the said bars 9 are connected together by a bar 10a, which is provided with suitable means to fasten bitching-straps (one or more) thereto, an eye-loop 11 being here shown on the outer side of said bar 10a for this purpose. The upright standards 9 are further connected together by a bar 12,k which is parallel with the bar 10:L and the ends of which are pivotally connected to the standards 9 by pivots 13, and to the inner ends of said pivots are pivotally connected the upper ends of bracebars 14 15, which brace-bars have their lower ends pivotally connected to the lugs 8 of the respective base-brackets.

It will be understood from the foregoing that by reason of the pivotal connections between the upright standards and the base-brackets and the pivotal connections between the bars 10 12 and the upright standards the rack may be either disposed in a vertical position, as shown in Fig. 1, ready for the attachment or bitching of a horse, or may be folded down onto the curb, as shown in Fig. 2, in which latter position the rack will be entirely out of the Way of pedestrians. To secure the rack when the same is in its upright position, I provide a lock-link 16, one end of which is pivotally connected to the brace-bar 14, as at 17. The said lock-link has a bayonet-slot 18, in one side of which is a spring-arm 19. The said bayonet-slot is engaged by a headed stud 20, that projects from the inner'side of the bar 12 and when the' rack is in -an upright position is forced into the notch 21 at the inner end of the bayonet-slot and retained therein by the said spring-arm 19. A lug 22, formed at the inner end of the bayonet-slot at the lower side thereof, acts as a stop to limit the movement of the free end of the spring-arm when the latter is bent outwardly when the lupper inner end of the lock-link is raised to disengage the stud from the notch of the bayonet-stud to release the stud and allow the rack to be folded.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, the construction and operation of the invention will be readily understood without requiring a more extended explanation.

Various changes in the form, proportion,

IOC

and the minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the principle or sacrificing any of the advantages of this invention.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire. to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A folding hitching-rack comprising supports, standards pivotally connected thereto, a connecting-bar pivotally connected to said standards and having a stud, and a pivoted lock-link connected to and movable with one of the standards and provided with abayonetslot, the latter being adapted 'to engage the stud with which the connecting-bar is provided, substantially as described.

2. A folding hitching-rack comprising pivotally-supporting standards, a bar pivotally attached thereto and connecting them tozo gether, and means to lock said bar -and one nesses.

CHARLES .W. J USTUS. Witnesses:

WM. E. REILLY, W. M. GAGIN. 

